The Newest Plant-Based Milk Is an Underground Phenomenon

The Swedes really seem to be ahead of the curve when it comes to plant-based milks. Now the same country that birthed Oatly oat milk is exporting another innovative alternative: DUG potato milk. And, its creators say, it could be a major development for the environment and human health.

DUG purports to pack a major nutrition punch, delivering significant amounts of omega-3, calcium, folic acid, and vitamins D and B12. A serving weighs in at just 40 calories, significantly less than oat milk.

“[Vegans] can have a hard time getting the vital fat omega-3, which is mostly found in fatty fish,” Lund University professor Eva Tornberg, whose research lead to the development of DUG, wrote in a statement. “For them and others, the product can serve as an alternative to flaxseed and rapeseed oil or health supplements.”

But nutrition is not the only area in which potato milk claims to best other milks. DUG also claims its product is far more ecologically sustainable. The company states that potato milk has a 75 percent smaller climate footprint than dairy milk, uses 56 times less water than almond milk, and that growing potatos is twice as efficient per square meter of farm land than growing oats.

Ready to go out and buy a carton to try it out? Unfortunately, you may have to wait. DUG potato milk is currently available only in Europe and the United Kingdom, but the brand has plans to expand distribution in the future.

RELATED: The Met Gala is Celebrating ‘American Independence’ with Its First Plant-Based Menu

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